Just driving by, firefighters notice, douse backyard fire

Firefighters were responding to an unrelated call on Canterbury Street this afternoon when they noticed a large plume of smoke coming from a backyard.

District Chief Stuart Howe said firefighters with Engine 4 dispatched themselves to 115 Canterbury St., where smoke and fire were coming from behind the building.

The fire would damaged two vehicles and a garage.

Chief Howe said the fire appears to have started in a pickup truck parked next to the garage. The fire spread to a car parked next to it, and to a four-bay wooden garage behind the house. A gasoline container ignited and spread the fire, Chief Howe said.

He said the one-alarm fire was brought under control soon after firefighters arrived around 3:30 p.m. One firefighter fell on the ice, he said, but was not injured. The Fire Investigation Unit was called to the scene, and the cause remains under investigation, Chief Howe said.

Traffic was detoured around the area of Grand Street as firefighters set up equipment, and firefighters also established engines at the rear of the property from Southgate Street.